'The Change' Play Depicts Trauma Of Children With Detained, Incarcerated Parents In Austin

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — The trauma endured by a child of an incarcerated or detained parent or guardian is a highly taut, yet real-life, drama that can be an abstraction to many of us. But a stage performance scheduled Friday drawn from such personal tribulations aims to make those experiences real to its audience.

On Friday (July 28), members of Youth Rise Texas will stage their production of "The Change," a play written by members of the organization's #StayWoke summer program. Youth Rise Texas is a membership organization comprised of young people whose lives have been impacted by the detention, deportation, or incarceration of a caregiver.

During the six-week intensive program #StayWoke, youth develop their leadership skills, deepen their understanding of political challenges, and build relationships with each other through healing arts activities, writing, and storytelling, Youth Rise Texas officials explained. "The Change," a collection of #StayWoke participants’ written pieces interpreted for the stage, addresses recent social and political changes we are all experiencing, and the daily changes Youth Rise teens are cultivating in their lives to keep hope alive and well, officials added.

These intimate reflections include the lived experiences of Youth Rise Texas members during last year’s presidential election, the February 2017 raids by ICE that terrorized immigrant communities in Austin, and life in the wake of the passage of SB4, an anti-immigration measure the group describes as "...the most regressive and oppressive anti-immigrant legislation in our nation’s history."

The event ill double as a fundraiser for Youth Rise’s year-long mentorship program, providing scholarships to youth participants to design and co-create changemaker projects with the mentorship of an adult ally, officials said.

The performance is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, 4700 Grover Ave. on July 28. Tickets are available via Eventbrite or at the door.

>>> Photo of Youth Rise Texas members via Eventbrite